When they have finished the first plowing they leave the field as it is. When it rains and the earth is wet enough to begin plowing, they set to work plowing the field of the first plowing before the fields. While they are waiting for the rain, they have to plow for sowing, that is, plow the field in which they will raise seedlings for transplanting. In plowing for sowing, if they are superstitious, it seems that they select an auspicious day, avoiding days when rats will bite or birds will carry off the rice; these things are told in the textbooks. Fields for sowing rice for transplanting may be made in many places, one plot for sowing "heavy rice," which is rice that forms grain slowly, taking about four months to ripen and be ready for harvesting, also called "four - month rice"; and another plot for sowing "light rice," which is rice that forms grain quickly, taking about three months to ripen and be ready for harvesting, also called "three-month rice." There are other plots for sowing black glutinous rice and white glutinous rice, etc. If is also possible to sow them together in a single plot, dividing it into sections by digging ditches. For a place to sow rice for transplanting, they select a spot near enough to water that they can scoop up water to nourish the seedlings easily. The rice that they sow for seedlings is rice that they select and keep aside from the year before; they take the rice of the Rice Goddess, which they summon forth from the field at the time of the previous year's harvest and tie up in the form of a small human doll and keep in the barn, and mix this with the rice to be planted. There are only a few heads of this Rice Goddess rice which they mix in for ceremonial purposes to cause the seed rice to have life and heart.

The method of sowing rice is to put the rice in a flat basket and soak it in water in order that the light-weight paddy grains and empty grains will float to the top; these they pick out and throw away. Then they pour the paddy into another flat basket which is lined with straw or grass, and water it constantly, not letting it get dry, until the rice germinates. Then they take it and sow it in the seedling plots, which have been plowed and formed into ridges and ditches in advance. The ridges, formed of mud and made smooth and flat on top, are separated by ditches. Besides dividing the plot according to kinds of rice as described above, these ditches are also used as paths for walking while sowing, so that they need not tread on rice grains already sown; the ditches also serve as water channels.

Before sowing the rice they speak a simple invocation to the Rice Goddess, informing her that they are about to plant her rice to make future crops, and asking that the rice plants flourish and be fruitful.

After sowing they must keep watch. If it rains hard during this time the seedlings are in danger, for their roots have not yet taken hold of the earth and even the distribution of the sowing will he destroyed, the seedlings being thrown together in crowded cluster; if this happens they will not grow well; the plants will be of unequal size, some small and some large.

Plowing the Fields

After sowing, it there is no rain for two or three nights, the roots of the seedlings take hold of the earth. After this even if it rains hard it does not matter, but it is necessary to watch and scoop up water, although not in excessive amounts. The farmers watch over the seedlings until they are about half a meter or more in height, when they are fit to be transplanted. Seedlings, if they have good earth with plenty of fertilizer and water, will grow to a size to be pulled up and transplanted in about fifty to sixty days. If they are left long for lack of opportunity to transplant them, they may grow old and produce grain, but the crop is small. The greatest enemies of rice seedlings are water birds; they like to eat rise seedling and will come down in flocks. As soon as the rice grains burst into green leaf and are about to become plants, these birds like to descend and peck at them. In only a moment the seedlings lie flat and ruined.

Harrowing and Transplanting

After the plowing comes the harrowing. A harrow is an implement to comb the grass and weeds out of earth. It is a piece of wood with teeth in a row which are called luug khraad, and it is drawn through the field by buffaloes. The first harrowing must be done in the plot where the ceremonial first plowing was performed. At the time of harrowing they must let water onto or off the field in order to get the proper amount; the water must cover the plowed earth slightly. They now hack and forth until the plowed earth is broken up in mud and forms a flat smooth area. Wherever there are weeds and plants, they are pulled out and thrown away, to facilitate the transplanting of rice. When they have finished harrowing they leave the field for a night or two for the mud to settle, and then they bring the rice plants and transplant them.

When they have harrowed the fields and left them to stand, they begin to pull up the rice seedlings and separate them according to variety. This is the work of the women, because the men are busy with plow and harrow. The method of pulling is to stoop over and take the plants in both hands to cause the clay clinging to the roots to fall off. Then they grasp the rice plants at the base and strike them against a wooden panel which they have prepared, in order to even up the bases of the seedlings. Then they tie the upper part of the plants together with a bamboo strip. The ends of the seedlings have to be cut short and even. If they are not cut, but are left as they are, when they are transplanted they are long and disorderly and the leaves will grow slowly. When they have finished they tie the bunches together in pairs. They insert a bamboo which is flattened at both ends into the pun and use this as a carrying pole to take them to the place where they are to be planted.

Before setting to work to plant the seedling, they again prepare offerings for the spirit of the land at the shrine which was built at the time of the first plowing.

They must plant the field of the first plowing before all other field. This field is divided into two parts. In one part heavy rice is planted and in the other light rice. The rice that is planted in this field is for use as seed rice for planting the following year, because it is regarded as rice which has been properly treated according to auspices and ceremonies in an auspicious field. Other fields are also planted in rows and sections according to varieties, without mixing. The method of planting is by stooping over, as everyone has seen. They take hold of the clump of seedlings in the left or right hand, whichever is convenient, and turn the base of the seedlings away from the body. The free left or right band takes hold of the base of the seedlings and picks off six or seven plants, and then plunges them into the mud with the thumb.